The largest and best supported Jaguar cars enthusiast site on the Internet!

Serving Enthusiasts since 1993

The Jag-lovers Web

Currently with 3,166 members

Upholstery - Crash Roll

Upholstery - Crash Roll

Hi to all,
I am about to start putting new upholstry in my 140 OTS and would
appreciate any tips that anyone who has completed a similar exercise can
offer.
Has anyone used a 3M product called "Super Trim Adhesive" part number 08090
which is a spray on product to attach vinyl to metal. If so was there any
problem with it. There is another 3M product called "General Trim Adhesive"
for lightweight materials part number 08080. Is this more suitable than the
Super Adhesive for the materials used in Jaguar kits. Thanks to anyone who
has done this and can help.
Neville Laing
Both 080 and 090 are excellent products. One is for heavier material (090)
The only problem I have had is that I forget to clean the spray tip after
use and the next time I need to use it, I have to clean the tip. Good
luck.....
Lee Eggers
Lee,
Thanks for responding. I have another question for you or anyone else if
you have recently done a re-upholstry job. Is there any particular order in
which you should go about installing new upholstry kit. For example should
I install the large rubber crash roll that go on top of the doors and all
around the cab before I put the new dash in place, or visa versa. Often
doing things in incorrect order makes life more difficult than it need be.
Thanks Neville Laing
The crash roll has to be done first and as I recall It is best left to a
professional. The various panels can be installed with success by a novice
as well as carpeting. The crash rails involve gluing the plywood backing
and plastic liner along with the leather covering and piping and gets
rather sticky (no pun intented) If you have seen it done, maybe you can
accomplish it. If not I would seek assistance from someone that has...
Lee Eggers
Sorry to hear you're having problems. It has been a while since I did the
job but here goes from my memory. When I redid my interior, I purchased the
leather straight from Connley. Don't laugh but about 15 years ago I think
it cost me about $210 for 1/2 a hide. That gave me plenty of leather to do
the entire interior. Trim kits at that time were up in the $1000 range. I
figured an $800 gamble was worthwhile. Besides, I had my Mom to help me at
the time if I ran into problems. She was a great seamstress.
I cut the wooden strips from plywood paneling since the original wood was
pretty ratty. The rubber pieces and the "cord" for the trim roll was still
in good shape. I cut a strip of leather at least an inch wide to cover the
"cord" for the trim roll. After wrapping the cord, I made sure there was
enough leather to fit completely under the full width of the wooden strip.
I pre drilled the screw holes in each wooden strip. I loosely attached the
leather around the cord to form the trim roll. I recall stapling the
leather since no one would ever see it.
You must start in the center and work out to either side. I attached the
leather wrap to the wooden piece making sure it was tight with no wrinkles.
Then attached the trim roll pulling it tight until the trim roll is nice
and even to the side of the wooden piece. Then the wooden piece with the
two pieces of leather tacked on got screwed to the body. I think the thick
rubber piece simply sat on top of the wooden strip. Again starting in the
middle, fold the leather over the rubber piece from the outside of the car
into the cockpit. I think the door had wooden pieces where you could tack
the leather once it was folded over the rubber piece. The biggest problem I
had was fiddling with the chrome plugs that went into the ends of the
rubber pieces. I had the luxury of cutting my own leather so my trim pieces
were long enough to tuck several inches below the inner door panel. Again,
I urge you to start with the doors. They are fairly easy. The front piece
shouldn't be too bad since it also is fairly straight. The difficult piece
is the back piece. When I tacked my leather onto the back wooden pieces
(mine car had a right and left hand piece) the leather was so taught that I
thought I would have trouble forcing the rubber piece up under it. The
Connley leather was so flexible and stretchy that it was not a problem at
all.
Again, I hope this helps. If you have a scrap of leather I think you'll see
that it stretches more in one direction than the other. My job was made
much easier by cutting the leather so that the stretchy direction ran
perpendicular to the length of the leather piece.
Robert A Orem
I redid my interior about 15 years ago. I covered the rubber crash bar
before installing the dash. At the time, my Mom helped me and provided some
advice that seemed to help. Leather has a bias --- it stretches more in one
direction than in the other. Cut your leather pieces so that the stretchy
direction runs into/out of the cockpit area. This is particularly important
for the back piece of leather because of the more severe curves it has to
go around. I would start out with the doors first. They are pretty simple.
The cowling above the dash is the next easiest. I would do the back cowling
last. Again, if you can figure out which way the leather stretches easier,
cut your pieces perpendicular to that direction.
Good luck. If you have any questions, or if I haven't confused you enough
already, please feel free to reply back.
Bob Orem
1955 XK140 OTS
Bob
Thanks for responding to my question on upholstry. I am learning how to do
it the expensive way. I have already had to re-order the piece of leather
needed to cover centre of dash. I am battling with front crash roll and may
pull it out and start again with it. I bought a kit from Bartlett so do not
do any cutting out as such. On the crash rolls I find when laying the piece
of leather supplied flat on the floor it does not match the shape of the
plywood strip which is cut to the shape of the car. The leather strip is
more or less a straight strip about 7 inches wide. Trying to stretch this
to correct shape with no wrinkles is proving dam near impossible. I feel
Bartlett should supply leather more closely cut to the shape of the plywood
strip. I would appreciate any comment or hints.
Neville Laing
The crash roll leather pieces are a real fooler, you must be very careful
as the leather is actually cut to fit the final curve of the crashroll and
nothing like the tack strips of wood. The rear piece from Bartletts
actually looks like it is cut the REVERSE of the tack strips. This is
because of the compound curves. Picture the leather on the car and not on
the tackstrips. Jamie D. Fiff
Neville,
Do not treat my words re the difficulty of this trimming job as total
discouragement - treat them more as words of respect that will apply will when
you succeed in completing the job. And when it is done, what you have learned
can be shared with all of us to make one more job a little easier for us.
Trimming is in this part of the world anyway the job least well done on
restoring XKs, and I do think it is very difficult to do well. More power to
you!
Regards, John Elmgreen
Neville,
Let me add my encouragement as well. I did my -140 trim roll about 10
years ago (with no prior experience) and it turned out great. My only
suggestion is to picture how the leather needs to stretch before attaching
it to the wood strip and pull the material tight as you staple it to the
outside curves. It's a little hard to describe with words - go slow and
think it through.
Mike Carpenter
Neville
Having similar problems while redoing an MG I remember my wife's
sensible suggestion of experimenting with a piece of junk leather before
committing to cut the good stuff. It worked a charm ...and kept my
bloodpressure down too.
Klaus Nielsen
John
I have seen your references to XK150 DHC top trim. I was able to get a
new top from Whitney's catalog for a bargain price of under $300 but no
luck on finding a liner or a pattern for one.
Can you suggest a source?
Tony Clarke